Voter Identification: The Latest Cruelty Or Are You A Racist?

Written by Bob Siegel and published by Washington Times Communities, January 7, 2012.

Used by permission.

Christmas is over and many people, intoxicated by the splendor of their favorite holiday, missed a few news stories that broke late in December, creating somewhat less than a splash of controversy while lights, tinsel, and ornaments occupied our thoughts.

Ironically, one such story is about as important as news gets, but be warned: After reading a small portion, you’ll probably want to check out again, returning to the carols and eggnog.

Late in December, TheNew York Times, reported the following:

“The Justice Department on Friday blocked a new South Carolina law that would require voters to present photo identification, saying the law would disproportionately suppress turnout among eligible minority voters.

The move was the first time since 1994 that the department has exercised its powers under the Voting Rights Act to block a voter identification law. It followed a speech this month by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. that signaled an aggressive stance in reviewing a wave of new state voting restrictions, largely enacted by Republicans in the name of fighting fraud.

In a letter to the South Carolina government, Thomas E. Perez, the assistant attorney for civil rights, said that allowing the new requirement to go into effect would have “significant racial disparities.” (New York Times, Dec. 23, 2011)

As Eric Holder put it, “the same disparities, divisions and problems” that beset the country in 1965 and “many Americans, for the first time in their lives . . . now have reason to believe that we are failing to live up” to the promise of democracy for all. (Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2011)

Actually, liberal bloggers have been discussing this for quite some time. A writer from Racism Review says those who push for voter identification are really about “dominance, reductionism, elimination, racism” and ” classism” (Racism Review, June 18, 2011).

Yes, of course. This makes perfect sense. Why should I.D. be required to vote?

True, in other situations, self identification is readily accepted by our society, but everything is different when examining a matter as trivial as elections. We need photo I.D. to open a bank account, cash a check, purchase alcohol, rent an apartment, board a plane, buy a gun, rent a car, reserve a hotel room, qualify for a loan, obtain a marriage license , or purchase insurance.

But why oh why should such precedence lead us to believe that identification is important when choosing our next president? Indeed, should you even dare to propose such a standard, it proves one thing and one thing only: You are a racist. What? You say you are not a racist? Instead you are only concerned that somebody who is not a citizen of the United States might manipulate an election in the Unites States? Well, hold on to your seat, because the inability to admit your racism actually makes you more of a racist than ever. In fact, the more defensive you get on this issue, the more you prove your own guilt.

Such is the conventional wisdom from many of our liberal elite.

Now then, if you wish, you can offer to question such “wisdom.” Perhaps you don’t think it’s wise at all. Maybe you want to make a case that Political Correctness is destroying our society’s ability to have meaningful conversations any more. Go ahead and bark down that alley. Try to prove that what looks illogical actually is illogical. You will fail to make your point and instead prove something else. I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count. That’s right, once again you will demonstrate racism.

So just be silent and blend into the crowd. Stop offering your opinion. That way, you’ll come across as smart, compassionate, and sophisticated, at least in the year 2012. Perhaps future generations, when reading American history, will marvel at a culture where the cowardly failed to confront the brainwashed. They may even conclude that the Obama administration saw illegal votes as some kind of election advantage. But why worry about history now?

Live in the present. Happy New Year!

Bob Siegel is a weekend radio talk show host on KCBQ and columnist. Details of his show can be found at www.bobsiegel.net.

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